Product Description

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
David
a Audio Enthusiast

Date Reviewed: August 21, 2010

Bottom Line:

If you can find a pair of these used, seriously consider buying them. I have had mine for 8 years and believe them to be the most musical loudspeaker I have ever owned, and spectacular for home theater as well. The imaging is second to none. both horizontally and vertically. You will hear everything that is there, so if you are a vinyl enthusiast, buy an excellent record cleaning system such as a Nitty Gritty . The last time I was tempted to trade up was three years ago when I auditioned a pair of the B&W 803D's - an $8,000 a pair very fine speaker. Overall, it was a toss-up, with the B&W's occasionally sounding a bit more forward in some areas of the midrange, most notably piano, and the SL6's always excelling in articulation of more conventional stringed instruments and voice. They sounded like comparable speakers in the same price range so I stuck with the 6's.

I purchased my Mac SL6's within a month as my buddy Shawn. He & I go back as far as kindergarten. In defence of this great affordable speaker, I must agree with Shawn's statement about the break-in time most newer Mac speakers require. Several consumers have submitted poor reviews, yet I believe their critical comments may be from either too high an expectation for this moderate price range or they may not have been patient enough to allow a minimum 300 hours or more break-in time before serious listening sections began. After "test-driving" more than 25 pairs ranging from $1,250-$4,800 per speaker, I have only one regret: I didn't buy more than two! -LOL- Granted, I dictated my speaker budget to hover between $1,200-$2,400 each, so I was quite happy the SL6's fell in the lower spectrum of my price range. All I now require is more sound proofing in my listening area to turn my Mac amp up to 40% of it's capacity...

Many amateur audiophiles think that the goal of a "perfect" playback system is "perfect specs" while others believe the goal of a "perfect" playback system is one that sounds real. Many audio consumers also believe that excessive power usage & exotic wood finishes are directly proportional to quality. This may often be the case, but never with McIntosh speakers. Only the McIntosh XR290 stands out like the giant monolith in the movie classic "2001" which stands at nearly 7 foot tall with its 40 drivers and choice of hardwoods ranging in price between $24,950 to $54,950.

With its modest price & simple appearance, the smaller tame SL6 is well-suited for most multichannel home theater systems and serious audio listening. Maybe it's just my vivid imagination or bias opinion about Mac's quality, but while enjoying my four SL6's and Mac's HT-4 center channel (THX approved) the sound makes me grin as I'm encouraged to quote the movie "Field of Dreams" most rhetorical question: "Is this Heaven?" -smile- Even though my newer pair of SL6's (the front speakers currently has approximately another +150 hours of break-in time (give them at least 250-300 hrs. to properly break-in), I've discovered these speakers have very deep low end with one of the best bass controls I've heard. They also have a warm smooth midrange & musically acoustic scene with lush attributes to compliment the remarkable clarity of my McIntosh MC206 (200 w/@ 4 ohms) six channel amp. These mini THX approved towers have an awesome dynamic capability and lack that grainy, over modulation of sound in the vocal range that lower quality speakers can have.

In my humble opinion, the sound stage is deep, pure, and quite detailed, with the tonal balance sounding quite natural and clear. They are also quite warm and mellow. Placement isn't as critical as many speakers, such as the Martin Logan electrostatic beauties, but amply separation is still required to expand the user's sound stage. They have a wide sweet spot, excellent imaging and a huge sound stage without being overly bright. I've found no need to sit in one specific special place to enjoy the beautiful sound these speakers can reproduce. The frequency range is wide enough that I don't currently use a subwoofer in my new home theater system.

IF YOU WANT THEM FOR THE MOVIES ONLY, GO FOR IT.IF YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC ALSO, LOOK ELSWHERE. THE SPEAKERS ARE OVERPRICED FOR WHAT THEY DO. I KNOW WHEN WE BUY SOMETHING WE WANT TO STICK BY THAT PRODUCT.NOBODY WANTS TO SAY THEY MADE A MISTAKE.BUT I WILL....FOR YOU.THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL,SOUND GOOD,I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SELL THEM FOR THE NAME....THATS PART OF THE REASON O BOUGHT THEM. SO GO OUT THERE AND LISTEN,LISTEN,LISTEN. FORGET THE NAME.THANKS FOR LISTENING.RAYMOND CROWE

I am very surprised to hear so many great reviews for such a mediocre product. The SL6's to me seem emblematic of the entire McIntosh line--overrated and unable to keep up with present day technologies. The SL6's have a very poor presentation of sound. There are six drivers on each speaker, consisting of three identical tweeters and three identicals woofers, in addition to an open port for bass. What results is a very distinct separation of frequencies when frequencies should be presented as seemlessly as possible. The old McIntosh XR230's do a much better job of this than the SL6's. Of course this impression may be my fault, since I'm basing my judgement on their musical reproduction, when they were designed to be part of a home theatre system. Their bass extension is good, but noticeably mushy. Not tight at all. They do, however, work well with the HT4 center and McIntosh surrounds and subwoofer (which is larger than your averager mini refrigerator). But in stereo mode, the SL6's just plain fall short of expectations.That they cost as much as they for what they do is a complete disappointment. If you're looking for accurate sonic reproduction and musicality, you're better off investing in a pair of B&W Nautilus 805's, maybe with some spiked stands.